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5 pounds WW2 Issue
| Issuer | Government of Fiji |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Emergency banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT OF FIJI FIVE POUNDS THIS NOTE IS REDEEMABLE IN WELLINGTON THE SUM OF FIVE POUNDS PURSUANT TO THE RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND ACT 1933 1ST AUGUST 1934 GOVERNOR THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER IN FIJI ONLY £5 |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT OF FIJI £5 FIVE POUNDS £5 THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER IN FIJI ONLY FIVE POUNDS £5 |
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| Comments |
Fiji's wartime currency underwent a significant security intervention in 1942: notes of this series were issued with a "FIJI" overprint specifically to prevent Japanese forces from using captured British Pacific currency stocks should they take the islands. The threat was not theoretical — Japanese forces had already moved through the Solomons, and Fiji was a critical Allied logistics hub.
The high denomination made this note particularly sensitive. Large-value wartime issues from Pacific territories in this period are consistently underrepresented in collections, partly because so few entered everyday hands and partly due to wartime destruction of surpluses.